The heat is unbelievably oppressive this afternoon in Manila! For a cool and quick pick me up, just scroll down this post quickly for a virtual halo-halo, wherever you may be…

And check out that red plastic “stirrer” with hands at either end. Heehee. I really liked them and bought a few, thinking we might use them for halo-halo’s served in the restaurant, but they were so expensive that using them isn’t likely. I am curious, what’s your icy weakness at this time of year? Halo-halo? Mais con hielo? Sagu at Gulaman? Fruit smoothie? Iced tea or coffee?

COMMENTS:

pixienixie
says:

Not much of a halo-halo fan. I’d much rather have sago at gulaman. But if halo-halo is my only option, I’d go for Razon’s because their version has fewer ingredients [banana, langka, leche flan, macapuno (?)]. The pictures look amazing, though. :D

Apr 11, 2013 | 4:07 pm

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pixienixie
says:

Oh, and love the stirrer! I have bookmarks purchased at Fully Booked that resemble it. :)

Apr 11, 2013 | 4:09 pm

Khew
says:

When it’s really hot, coconut water with a touch of sugar on the rocks – nature’s isotonic drink. :-)

Am a huge halo-halo fan. The sweetness of the mix-in’s coupled with creamy milk and ice sure beats the summer heat. Love the stirrer MM.

Apr 11, 2013 | 7:34 pm

Kasseopeia
says:

I’m pretty sure you could buy those “stirrers” wholesale in Jatujak for less than THB2 per piece – a hand on one side only, though. The other side was plain and I don’t remember if that end was pointy, rounded or flat like a small spatula. Will check this weekend.

… and that halo-halo. Oh my!

Apr 11, 2013 | 7:47 pm

marilen
says:

Halo halo it is – one of the treats I look forward to when going home to the Philippines.

there is an unseasonal, winter-like spring storm today, but this halo halo looks absolutely and invitingly delish even as ice pellets rage outside….

Apr 11, 2013 | 11:45 pm

EJ
says:

Love halo-halo! Now, if only one can eat your photos…

Apr 11, 2013 | 11:49 pm

Getter Dragon 1
says:

Me thinks its time to add video to the blog. I used to detest halo halo in all of its weird mutations…evaporated milk, corn, etc. One mouthful would result in a destended abdomen followed by periodic gastrointestinal emissions. A few years ago I found a rather well executed halo halo of a now defunct turo turo. For a quick fix, I’ll turn to halo-halo’s Viet cousin, the tri color dessert.

Apr 12, 2013 | 4:45 am

Footloose
says:

There was this turo-turo type of counter in the Malborough Mall in Calgary in the seventies that served passable halo-halo that invariably piqued the curiosity of non-Filipino passers-by who always inquired what we were having when refreshing ourselves with large parfait glasses of halo-halo. We would answer mix-mix and they’d suggest it looks more like stab-stab.

Apr 12, 2013 | 4:53 am

ricky gonzalez
says:

“jaleya” is a novel way of describing in “english” the filipino halaya.

ricky, I have always been a bit confused about the halaya, haleya, jaleya, jalea references… but I believe the original is “jalea”, in SPANISH, for literally “jelly” which this concoction is obviously not. Jam, on the other hand, is “mermelada” which I take is actually a reference to marmalade perhaps, best made with bitter spanish seville oranges. Ube Jam is accurate I guess. But Ube Jalea, Jaleya, Halaya, Haleya is probably not… as a jelly is typically a clear(ish) fruit preserve, say like guava jelly (which is sometimes not so clear in the Philippines). :)

At any rate, I think it’s safe to say, the Filipino term Halaya or Haleya hails from the Spanish jalea. So it’s not an English translation of a Filipino term. And it is accurately spelled jalea, not jaleya, as I have written above. Three years of Spanish classes and I can’t speak it at all… :)

Guinumis! Especially the one from Milky Way. Was never a huge fan of Halo-Halo until I had the one at Milky Way. I think they’ve gotten everything right – the proportion of ingredients, the size, shape, and crunch of the ice.

I got these stirrers at a wholesale restaurant supply store and they were still kinda pricey… compared to the bamboo “muddlers” we had custom made for our restaurants for smashing our santol juice, etc. Plus the muddlers are locally made and these probably imported… :)

Apr 12, 2013 | 8:15 pm

AM
says:

omg! Those were great pictures; capturing the slow movement of the milk and mixing the halo-halo. :P Yum! The closest place to get halo-halo here is Gerry’s Grill, but I know it won’t be the same.

Apr 13, 2013 | 2:58 am

Mimi
says:

I’d love some halo-halo! But do not have time to make all the ingredients! I like halo-halo beany- minatamis na garbanzos, white beans and red monggo- with ube, leche flan and pinipig.

Saba is easy to get here, so I just make kusilba/ minatamis na saging with evap milk, sago and lots of ice.

We went home for a quick visit and I had Chowking halo-halo, sadly it did not taste like it used too, to me. Some of the bits were tough to chew; it was sickly sweet; and the ice was very hard to break.

Did not have time to go to the ones in Laguna with yema pastillas.

Apr 13, 2013 | 7:59 am

niceyfemme
says:

Gorgeous looking halo halo! I love halo halo with few ingredients that are prepared well, one thats not too sweet, and with lots of ice. Yum!

Apr 13, 2013 | 4:31 pm

mayums
says:

we love halo-halo; the ones sold by our neighbors are enough to beat (temporarily) the summer heat. my favorite ingredients would be nata de coco, leche flan and ube. my kids also love sago’t galaman; however, i’m more partial to gulaman.

i miss mais con yelo. haven’t had this for years!

i love looking at the photos where the milk is slowly melting the shaved ice. :)

Apr 17, 2013 | 12:38 pm

cumin
says:

Not sure if ‘pick me up’ is right — looking at the pictures I sink deeper and deeper in my chair! If I saw these plastic stirrers at Zubuchon, I would definitely ask the manager if I could please take home one. Or can I pay to get two? :-)

These days my sugar quota is taken up by iced coffee. Although I usually drink coffee black, for some reason iced coffee has to have copious amounts of sugar and milk. In QC, my favorite halohalo is at Coconut House inside Quezon Memorial Circle, not too many ingredients but generous with macapuno, and the scoop of coconut ice cream makes the trip worthwhile.